


Fixed Her Heart And Broke It Again

by minteafresha



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, cooper and smidge as well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 17:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13663413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minteafresha/pseuds/minteafresha
Summary: Middle school era of the human au. Ramona is Branch, and Madge is Smidge. Serena and Chelsea are Satin and Chenille; they, as well as Suki, are mentioned. Poppy teaches Ramona how to dance for the school assembly, but Ramona is very shy. This story is my reason for why Ramona/Branch is mad at Poppy in the movie. Written in February 2017.





	Fixed Her Heart And Broke It Again

Ramona Robles’ grandmother died when Ramona was 7 years old. The thing they bonded over the most was music. Folk music, disco, and old pop.

 

The classroom door cracked open and numerous eighth graders filed out in split streams. A tall girl with messy dark hair and freckles all over her body darted out in her excitement for the lunch period. She wore a bright blue jumper with a floral pattern and new white shoes. She turned abruptly, stopped a little ways from the door to watch it, and waited, bouncing on her heels.

        Another girl emerged shortly, and she was short. She had thick black hair that slumped over her shoulders like lazy mud rapids. She blinked quickly at the sunshine and then searched for her friend Poppy.

        Poppy said, “Ramona, over here!!!”

        Ramona looked to her left and smiled slightly and went to meet her friend. They held hands and started walking to a remote grassy area in the school yard under a skinny tree still on stilts.

        Ramona wore the usual jeans and shirt. Today her shirt had a sparkly sequin star design on it. She did not have much for lunch so Poppy always shared with her. As Ramona ate her triangle of Poppy’s turkey sandwich, Poppy did not start eating and started rambling, like usual.

        “Okay, Mona, I found a dance online that has a bunch of people in it and it’s pretty easy but really impressive still! It’s hard to find that kind of stuff, usually it’s just one kind of dance and it’s not as exciting. And I was thinking! Maybe you would wanna join in and perform in the assembly with me and Cooper and Madge?”

        Ramona, with a full mouth, spoke in a muffled voice, “I’m not so sure. I’d have to see the dance first.”

        “Ooooh, you’ll really like it!” Poppy grabbed a potato chip and popped it into her mouth and stood up quickly. “Here, here, okay,” she said as she planted her feet properly.

        Poppy started demonstrating the dance and singing. “ _Girl, to be with you is my favorite thing!”_ She pointed at Ramona and winked. Ramona laughed and clapped a little bit. “ _I can’t wait ‘til I see you again.”_

Ramona mouthed the words, “I wanna put on, my my my my my boogie shoes” along with Poppy, and Poppy noticed.

        Poppy grinned and stopped, and said, “Uh, that’s as far as I remembered, but there are more parts to it that other people are supposed to dance and it’s so much fun!” She knelt onto the ground and scooted toward Ramona. “So what do you think now?”

        Ramona bit her lip and avoided Poppy’s eager stare. “Mmmmm… the assemblies have half the school there… but I do like the dance a lot, it does seem fun.”

        “Then just join!” Poppy chirped.

        Ramona ran a hand through her hair repeatedly. “I don’t know….” she whined.

        Poppy said, “Look, Ramona, look at me.”

        Ramona looked at her.

        Poppy said softly, “You won’t be alone, you have me and my brother and our friend, they’re your friends!” She reached her hand out to take Ramona’s, but Ramona just looked at it. “I know it sounds scary, but I think you should try to work toward getting over your fear.” Poppy let her hand fall and rest on the ground. She leaned on it and said, “And, I would rather practice a dance that everyone will enjoy no matter what, than practice a boring old speech for class or something. So this will be good place to start for you, I think.” Poppy waited patiently for Ramona to answer.

        Ramona looked away again and then looked back. Her brow pinched as she thought and pulled her hand through her hair. “Ahhhhh… well…” Ramona’s eyes wandered down to Poppy’s hand, and she finally decided. She laid her hand on Poppy’s and said, “Why the heck not, huh? Try something new?”

        Poppy gasped and smiled. “Really?!”

        Ramona nodded. Poppy squealed and took both of Ramona’s hands and said, “I’m so happy!! Thank you thank you thank you!! You will not regret this, Mona, it’s gonna be so much fun, and we can have matching outfits and-“

        She was interrupted by a voice nearby. “What’s UP!!! What are you doing, you lovebirds, we go and get lunch and you’re touchin’ noses or some shit.”

        Ramona and Poppy turned to see Cooper approaching them with a paper tray of cafeteria food, and little Madge following behind with her own food.

        Ramona pulled away from Poppy and smiled kindly. “You’d better eat, Poppy. You hafta get looked after too, not just me.”

A week later, Ramona found herself at the fourth dance practice so far. They went to Poppy and Cooper’s house to practice in their backyard, which had a large concrete court.

        Poppy motioned for Ramona to pay attention to her footwork. “Cross backwards like this, three four, and the arms point the opposite way your legs go.”

        Ramona copied her and stumbled a little on the last step. “Wh-whoops.”

        “That’s good that’s good! You’re doing good, the arms are good.” Poppy held her hands by Ramona’s arms, as if she were steadying them. “But work on the feet, so you can switch easily.”

        “That’s a lot,” Ramona said, exhaling heavily. “You said it was easy!”

        Poppy threw her hands in the air. “But you’re a natural! You look just like the video!”

        “That’s because I’m trying so hard to look good,” Ramona said.

        Cooper, who was practicing with Madge, danced his way over to them. “Take it easy, Mona, go with the flow!”

        Madge said, “You can do it!” She picked up Cooper by the thighs and he ended up sitting on her head. Cooper giggled. Madge chuckled gruffly along with him, with more wheezing that usual because of the pressure on her head. This made Ramona and Poppy laugh too.

        Ramona said, “Thanks guys. Maybe we can take a break?”

        “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Poppy said, stretching her back. She went to get her water bottle that was on the ground, and crouched while she was drinking. Ramona stared at her for a moment before remembering where she was.

* * *

After another couple weeks of practice, it was time for the monthly assembly.

        The four performing students sat in the dark multipurpose room, at the front of the audience, before the lit-up stage, and waited for their cue. They all wore matching disco pants that their friends, Serena and Chelsea, made specially for them. And of course they wore their school emblem T-shirts every Friday.

        Poppy whispered to Ramona, “How are you feeling?”

        Ramona’s voice quivered. “I don’t feel good,” she managed to croak.

        “We made it this far, and you’ve done so well in practice, you move so beautifully,” Poppy reassured.

        At the last remark, Ramona blushed. She was glad that no one could see her face in the dim light. And no one would question it later since she would have been dancing.

        Poppy continued. “We’re all here, we’re all right here.” Madge and Cooper leaned over to look at Ramona, and Ramona’s heart beat faster from seeing how much these three people cared about her. It actually added more to her nervousness rather than make her feel more comfortable.

        Cooper wiggled in his seat. “I’m nervous too.” He was smiling though, a weird nervous smile.

        Ramona bared her teeth and thought, _At least he’s smiling, why can’t I be like that?_

        Just then, the current speaker, the vice principal, was almost done. “We all know what we’re really here for,” she said, waving for Poppy’s group to get onto the stage. “Let’s give it up for ASB president Poppy Castellan and her friends!”

        Poppy jumped up and the four of them clambered onto the stage. Poppy shouted to the crowd without taking the offered microphone, “Good afternoon everybody!”

        The kids and teachers clapped and cheered and then they settled down.

        Poppy looked sideways to her friend Suki, who was offstage with a laptop. Poppy counted down and then Suki started the music.

        The trumpets blared all around. Ramona watched Poppy, as she was supposed to mirror her, and Cooper and Madge had their own mirrored dance. When they swiveled their heads, Poppy’s hair whipped around her face.

        Ramona saw how happy Poppy was to be dancing for all these people. Usually, Ramona was in the crowd to see this happen, but being right there next to Poppy, in the middle of it all, was so much different. And Ramona wanted to be here all the time.

        But before Ramona knew it, it got to the part where they switched to a different pattern of moves. “ _I wanna do it ‘til the sun comes up,”_ K.C. sang through the speakers. But Ramona did not know how to do it.

        Ramona started hyperventilating and kept glancing at Poppy to try to copy her.

        Poppy’s eyes got wide and her joyful countenance dropped to one of horror. She quickly grabbed Ramona’s hand, partly because that was part of the dance and partly to keep Ramona more grounded.

        Ramona looked at the audience, and their dark shapes looked more menacing than before. It got hot, her shirt felt itchy and tight. Ramona froze and forgot the dance moves completely.

        She shuddered and hiccupped, “Popp-py, I don’t- I can’t- I… ah .…uh..” In an effort to keep the dance going, Ramona shifted her weight back and forth, but she still kept slowing down. Tears started welling up in her eyes.

        Poppy breathed a worried “Oh no oh no” and clasped Ramona’s other hand. She swung their arms side to side to the music. “Come on Ramona, here, just dance with me…” Poppy tried to give a smile.

        Cooper and Madge toned down their dance as they watched them. The audience clapped rhythmically in encouragement. The song was almost over.

        “No n-no,” Ramona said through rapid gasping and sobbing. “N-n-no!”

        Poppy urged, “Ramona, it’s okay!”

        “No..!” Ramona forced the word up. She screamed, “NO!”

        Little tears were curling down to her chin. Poppy stopped swinging their arms.

        Ramona tore her hands from Poppy’s and turned and ran offstage, past all of the people, and out the back doors of the room.

        The music stopped. Cooper did the splits like he was supposed to.

        Madge moved next to Poppy and looked up at her. “Poppy…”

        Poppy stood there, lost, like a part of her was ripped out. Then she clenched her fists and sprinted out to chase after Ramona. When Poppy made it past the doors, Ramona was not in sight, but Poppy knew where she would be.

        Ramona was in a shadowy spot behind a big bush, which was located outside the farthest classroom from the main building. She didn’t care that her pants were getting dirty, they weren’t even hers, Poppy paid for them, Poppy Poppy Poppy, you’re so AWFUL! Ramona snatched the leaves from the bush in front of her.

        Suddenly she heard footsteps on the black top; she made herself still. “Don’t come close,” she whispered only for herself.

        Poppy padded onto the grass and went around the bushes. “Ramona,” Poppy said when she peered into the gap and saw her friend.

        Poppy found that Ramona was squeezed between the wall and the bush. Her face was red, but not from dancing like she wanted, and her eyes were shriveled up. Ramona shifted uncomfortably. “Le-eave me-e alone-nh!” she said, voice still wobbling.

        “I’m sorry,” Poppy said. “Please, come out of there.”

        “Oh yeah you’re s-sorry??” Ramona said, turning away.

        “Yes, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed you like that, this is all my fault, I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to anymore. I learned that now. I just… I just wanted to share this with you.” Poppy wrung her hands. “I wanted to help you out, like, to make you more okay with things.”

        “Well, it DIDN’T HELP, now go away!” Ramona said.

        Poppy sighed and sat with her back against the wall. “I’m not leaving you. Never.”

        Ramona only sputtered and grunted from the tightness in her throat.

        It was quiet for a long time, until Ramona shifted around again to get out. Her legs were getting sore. “Move,” she said aggressively. She jerked her hand to push Poppy aside, but Poppy moved obediently, standing up.

        “Ramona, talk to me,” Poppy said.

        “And what, what do you want me to say? Say it’s all okay, say I forgive you? I did this for you, all for you, and now I realized, if I didn’t do it for myself too, then it’s no good.” Ramona grimaced and then coldly looked right into Poppy’s eyes. “I don’t want anything, from you anymore, okay. And it’s NOT okay, I’m not okay, I’m never okay.”

        She starting walking away, muttering, “I need a drink of water.”

        Poppy waited for Ramona to gain distance, and then sauntered after her to go back to the school.

       

Ramona thought she was in love, she thought Poppy was her answer, but now she wasn’t so sure. It was a good thing that she didn’t have any more classes with Poppy for the rest of that day, but it still ate at her that she couldn’t see Poppy the same way again.


End file.
